"Students with disabilities experiencing homelessness are a growing and vulnerable population in the United States (Bassuk et al., 2014). They have a myriad of unique and complex needs, many of which teachers are ill prepared to meet. In this study, the researcher conducted a case study (Yin, 2014), set within the context of Ecological Systems Theory (EST; Bronfenbrenner, 1979), to investigate existing school and district level supports for teachers of students with disabilities experiencing homelessness, and teachers' and other school personnel's perceptions of those supports. The researcher interviewed six school and district level personnel, and analyzed several school and district level documents and web resources regarding homeless education to triangulate the data. Data were coded at three levels, the first two employing deductive logic and a priori codes based on the EST theoretical framework (Level I) and extant literature (Level II; Fereday & Muir-Cochrane, 2006). The third level of analysis was conducted using an inductive process, during which codes emerged from the data (Leech & Onwuegbuzie, 2007). Results from Level I coding indicated microsystem supports (to students and families) were provided most frequently, followed by exosystem supports (to teachers and other school professionals). Level II coding revealed teachers and other school professionals have drastically different perceptions of the absence or presence of teacher supports. Furthermore, the roles of teachers and other school professionals are concentrated on providing supports to students and families far more frequently than providing them to teachers. Level III analysis resulted in four overarching themes: homeless education norms, perceptions of the experience of homelessness, assumptions about teacher awareness and supports, and culture of support. While other school professionals often worked together formally and informally, they rarely involved teachers in their teams, but reported they provide adequate teacher support. The special educator's perceptions indicated a lack of knowledge and support as well as a desire to improve both. Although the majority of participants held a deficit perspective of students with and without disabilities experiencing homelessness, overall they conveyed the importance of establishing a culture of support for those students and their families. Implications for future research include an investigation of the descriptive (the way things are done) and injunctive (the way things ought to be done) norms (Cialdini et al., 1990) within schools and districts. Specifically, the siloed nature of homeless education appears to be an emerging descriptive norm, when existing research supports homeless education ought to be carried out in a coordinated, team-based manner (i.e., injunctive). Professionals from other systems must be included in future research, as the norms from various systems can result in further contradictions. Similarly, additional investigations of rural homeless education are warranted to further unveil norms that impact the education of rural students with disabilities experiencing homelessness. Finally, considerations for practice include overhauling professional development to include teacher leadership and coaching as valid and sustainable options for improving the supports for teachers of students with and without disabilities experiencing homelessness."--Abstract from author supplied metadata.

Schools and districts are seeing unprecedented numbers of students and families living without residential stability. Although the McKinney-Vento Act has been around for over two decades, many district- and site-level practitioners have a difficult time interpreting and implementing the Act’s mandates within their local contexts. This book provides much-needed guidance to help educational leaders support students who are homeless and highly mobile students who face significant barriers related to access and academic success. The authors employ several different strategies to help translate complex state and federal policies into effective practices. They include policy analysis, examples of successful approaches, tools for training staff, youth experiences, and address the role of school districts in serving marginalized students. Serving Students Who Are Homeless can be used as a professional development tool at the local and district level, and as a textbook in higher education settings that prepare entry-level and advanced-credential administrators, counselors, school psychologists, and curriculum leaders. Book Features: Guidance for understanding and implementing the law and tools for training staff. Case studies that include the voices of students, families, and practitioners. Questions and activities to facilitate professional development discussions. “I have worked in this realm for more than a decade and, sadly, the numbers of homeless families and children continue to rise. The information and strategies identified within the pages of this book will prove to be an invaluable resource to the work of counselors, school personnel, teachers, administrators, and advocates for homeless students.” —Melissa Schoonmaker, Los Angeles County Office of Education “Homelessness brings an array of daunting challenges to students, families, and schools. As more and more communities are experiencing these challenges throughout the US, Dr. Hallett and Dr. Skrla have skillfully developed a critical new resource that can help those in most need. I admire their work!” —Peter Miller, University of Wisconsin–Madison

In 2008-2009, nearly one million children experiencing homelessness were enrolled in school. In 2012, over 1.5 million children were identified as homeless. In a 2013 U. S. Census report, 2.5 million children were identified as homeless in America. The number of homeless children in America continues to increase every year. Homeless students are among the most marginalized and vulnerable populations in schools. They experience daily trauma and encounter more risks than their non-homeless peers. Unfortunately, there is a dearth in educational research regarding how teachers work with homeless students and what they do to meet the children's educational needs. There is even less research on homeless school-age children. Through the lens of two theoretical frameworks of care theory and attachment theory, this inquiry explored what relationship building practices teachers engage in and how elementary teachers build relationships and interact with their homeless students to meet the children's educational needs. By examining how homeless students' educational needs are currently being met, this study contributes to a better understanding of the challenges homeless students face, the types of support they need to be successful, and the support needed to provide elementary school teachers with the tools and knowledge to help them meet the unique needs of homeless students.

Student homelessness has become a pervasive issue that school districts nationwide must address. While the literature shows that student homelessness often correlates with poor academic performance, little research exists about how school employees help students who experience homelessness or high residential mobility connect with the educational resources they need. To address the literature gap, this study examined how school employees support resource access and mobilization for students who experience homelessness. This study served as a positional analysis of school employees' roles and also examined how they worked collectively. Social capital theory framed this study as the researcher collected and analyzed data to see how families access and mobilize--or get connected with and utilize--educational resources. Using a case study design, the researcher employed the qualitative data collection methods of interviewing and analyzing documents to gather data from school personnel who work in a metropolitan school district in the Midwest. This study found that school employees' roles in helping homeless students connect with resources were associated with the specific job positions they held within a school. Additionally, this study found that a school employee's awareness of a student's housing situation and of the resources available within the school district and community impacted their ability to help. Ultimately, the findings suggest that implementing formal communication and collaboration protocols, as well as providing targeted professional development, can help school personnel work together to increase the social capital of students and families who experience homelessness by helping them access and mobilize educational resources.

This sourcebook assembles the results of research on educating homeless students and offers classroom strategies for people working with homeless students, providing training tools to strengthen programs and practices in schools and shelters. Chapter 1, "Increasing Awareness about Students Experiencing Homelessness," defines homelessness, describes its causes and impact on children and youth, and offers suggestions for raising awareness of the situation. Chapter 2, "Overcoming Barriers," identifies school enrollment and attendance hurdles that homeless families with children face most frequently, offering strategies to promote better access to schooling. Chapter 3, "School and Classroom Practices That Work," describes curricular, instructional, behavior management, and life skills activities that foster educational, social, and personal success. Chapter 4, "Not Schools Alone," describes the values of schools, families, and communities working together, suggesting ways to partner to support homeless people. Chapter 5, "Planning Presentations and Workshops," offers a set of sample agendas for various types of presentations and workshops to increase community awareness of homelessness. Chapter 6, "References, Resources, and Curricula," lists background materials, children's books, curricula, videos, and online resources for additional information and training tools. Each chapter provides examples of materials and activities, including overheads and handouts. (SM)